As I write the stories, it's my plan to occasionally upload fragments of GeoFiction - details about the worlds the stories take place in, and the mythology that encompasses them all. This method will allow me to properly acquaint you with the worlds, without requiring a hamfisted "data dump", in narrative or dialogue.
Now, I'm aware that some elements of chapter 2 could have been a bit confusing to people used to more traditional vampires, or who simply don't know the details of my own version. So, to explain it, this GeoFiction upload will be all about Wanderer vampires.
Vampires are one of the most dangerous types of undead, partially because of their unique origin. While other undead are created by either Magical anomalies or the work of necromancers, a vampire can only be born of demonic interference. More specifically, some demons are capable of warping or removing the soul of a host, replacing it with demonic essence, as well as altering the body in other ways. The creature that results is called an arch-vampire, and sometimes a patriarch of matriarch, depending on gender, and is capable of spreading a lesser form of their corruption through a semi-necromantic, semi-satanic ritual. However, this dilutes the demonic essence, increasingly so as these ‘progeny’ create their own vampires, until the essence is too weak to revive the victim.
The lack of a proper soul leaves a vampire unable to regenerate their own life-force, or spiritus. In order to survive, they must either spend much of their time in a hibernation state, or find another source of spiritus. Most choose to prey on those who are still living naturally, or at least still have a functional soul. While beginner vampires often must physically ingest the blood of the creature to drain their spiritus, the more experienced and powerful can drain the life-force directly, sometimes at a distance. The most practiced can even inflict their victims with ‘soul rot’ – a supernatural disease which continually siphons spiritus, transferring it to the vampire without their even being present. Also, if the vampire takes more energy than they need to survive, the excess can temporarily vitalise them, making them faster, tougher and more energetic for a time.
Though there is variation, there are some supernatural abilities common to all vampires. One example is basic athleticism: demonic enhancement gives all vampires superhuman physical ability – speed, strength, durability – in various measures, depending on the vampire. Another is their high capacity for regeneration. A vampire can recover near-instantly from almost any wound, even lethal ones: if a vampire suffers a fatal wound, they will appear to die for a few moments before suddenly waking up, and make a complete recovery in the next few seconds. However, there are ways to counteract this effect: if a wound is obstructed from healing, as in the case of a stab-wound with the weapon still inside, then the vampire cannot heal until the obstruction is removed; if the wound is cauterised by fire or acid, though it is not impossible, it will take days to heal; and of course, wounds inflicted by silver weapons do not regenerate until after they are treated by other means, as well as briefly nullifying other regeneration. Additionally, all vampires have a limited shapeshifting ability. Finally, there is their unique ability to telepathically ‘mesmerise’ a sentient being, muddling and confusing their thoughts, and thus making them more susceptible to coercion. However, they are also susceptible to many of the same weaknesses as other undead, especially concerning the sun. They are sluggish and weakened during the daytime, with the touch of direct sunlight completely nullifying all of their supernatural powers.
Keep in mind that the above abilities are just a baseline, abilities that are possessed by all vampires. There is variation between individuals, particularly concerning power level – as the demonic essence is diluted, the power it grants grows steadily weaker. Even more so, there is variation between families of vampires; every demon’s essence is different, and this alters the power granted down the vampiric generations, making the various descendants of the arch-vampires each into cohesive, distinguishable ‘strains’. A particularly notable example is the Mobilis strain, descended from Tzuza, the ‘speed demon’. His unique power grant all his strain not only the basic vampiric powers, but also some Motion-elemental abilities.
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